-DATE-
19940320
-YEAR-
1994
-DOCUMENT TYPE-
-AUTHOR-
-HEADLINE-
Castro Meets With Friendship Caravan Members
-PLACE-
CARIBBEAN / Cuba
-SOURCE-
Havana Tele Rebelde and Cuba Vision Networks
-REPORT NO.-
FBIS-LAT-94-054
-REPORT DATE-
19940321
-HEADER-
=================================
Report Type: Daily report AFS Number: FL2003234394
Report Number: FBIS-LAT-94-054 Report Date: 21 Mar 94
Report Series: Daily Report Start Page: 6
Report Division: CARIBBEAN End Page: 7
Report Subdivision: Cuba AG File Flag:
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED Language: Spanish
Document Date: 20 Mar 94
Report Volume: Monday Vol VI No 054
Dissemination:
City/Source of Document: Havana Tele Rebelde and Cuba Vision Networks
Report Name: Latin America
Headline: Castro Meets With Friendship Caravan Members
Subheadline: TV Broadcasts Meeting
Source Line: FL2003234394 Havana Tele Rebelde and Cuba Vision Networks in
Spanish 0100 GMT 20 Mar 94
Subslug: [Dialogue between Cuban President Fidel Castro and Pastors for Peace
leader Lucius Walker at a meeting with members of the Third United States-Cuba
Friendship Caravan on 18 March; place not given; Castro speaks in Spanish with
passage-by-passage translation into English; Walker speaks in English
with passage-by-passage translation into Spanish-recorded]
-TEXT-
FULL TEXT OF ARTICLE: 1. [Dialogue between Cuban President Fidel Castro and
Pastors for Peace leader Lucius Walker at a meeting with members of the Third
United States-Cuba Friendship Caravan on 18 March; place not given; Castro
speaks in Spanish with passage-by-passage translation into English; Walker
speaks in English with passage-by-passage translation into Spanish-recorded]
2. [Text] [Castro] What did they seize? A parabolic antenna, a truck? Were you
bringing nuclear weapons in them? [laughter] Intercontinental missiles? What
was the truck they stopped carrying?
3. [Walker] The satellite dish is a 10-foot satellite dish, which was regarded
by U.S. Customs and those who decide in Washington what should or should not
come to Cuba, as very high technology. [laughter] We had two electric
typewriters.
4. [Castro] Did they also seize them?
5. [Walker] Yes. That is high technology. [laughter]
6. [Castro] Do they not know we have many power outages, and that it is better
to use a manual typewriter?
7. [Walker] The most interesting item they kept, among those they say we could
not bring in, was a small toaster. [laughter] You see, you put the bread in,
then plug it in; the bread gets toasted and pops up. A simple toaster- they did
not let it through.
8. When I went to the Sierra Maestra and saw pictures of the first attack, the
routes you used when you came down the mountain, and the weapons used to attack
the garrison, I decided you must have had soldiers as good as the soldiers of
this caravan. They are truly good people. However, the main thing about them
is that they are all inspired by the love, revolutionary fervor, and example of
solidarity that Cuba provides, and by the heroic leadership of Commander Fidel
Castro. [applause]
9. [Castro] We need to adopt measures to adopt to the circumstances under
which we are living. [sentence as heard] Under these difficult circumstances,
we need to seek formulas that can help us emerge from this special period, but
without compromising our principles, without compromising the Revolution, and
without compromising our independence. You know quite well that there are
values that cannot be lost. [Passage indistinct] even life. [Passage
indistinct] for peace because you know that history is full of martyrs.
[Passage indistinct] of ideas. This is why we are meeting here. [applause]
10. We, through resistance, [words indistinct] for the life of ideas, morale
under the present situation, struggle, continue working, do not lose our
optimism, and trust confidence. We believe that our effort will also be
fruitful in the material sphere. his is very difficult because of all these
things I have been explaining. Very hard. However, we do not lose hope that we
will eventually overcome this. We do not lose our hope of winning. We are
willing to resist as long as these blockades last.
11. What we are saying is easy to say but hard to do because we have to deal
with millions of people, millions of human beings who are making sacrifices
everyday, suffering everyday; whose morale, commitment, and fighting spirit we
must try to keep high. his is why I say that to work and struggle under the
present conditions is very difficult.
12. Someone said that faith can move mountains, and we are witnessing that
here. [applause] Faith in what is fair keeps us moving mountains. We shall
continue moving mountains. This is the reason for the tremendous gratitude
which I, as well as all the people, feel for your efforts and struggle, for
your courage and heroism. There is more than physical heroism, there is a type
of heroism which is even more difficult: moral heroism.
13. Inside the United States, you are giving a great example of moral heroism
by organizing this movement and waging this struggle. You are fighting at the
most strategic site- inside the United States. We also appreciate that you are
gaining ground, you re being successful, and are creating a greater awareness
of this struggle. You are also writing an unforgettable page in the history of
relations between our two nations, in the history of brotherhood between the
American and Cuban peoples. In our view, you are the representatives of the
best of the tradition, history, and virtues of the American people. It is in
this sense that a great mountain has been growing, in this case of love and
gratitude for what you are doing.
14. I did not want under any circumstances to fail to meet with you for a few
minutes.
-END-